Comics Enriched Their Lives! #5
by T. Hodler
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
As Japan sheds its postwar pacifism and gears up to take a higher military profile in the world, it is enlisting cadres of cute characters and adorable mascots to put a gentle, harmless sheen to its Self-Defense Forces deployments.
“Prince Pickles is our image character because he’s very endearing, which is what Japan’s military stands for,” said Defense Ministry official Shotaro Yanagi. “He’s our mascot and appears in our pamphlets and stationery.”
Such characters have long been used in Japan to win hearts and minds and to soften the image of authority.
–Hiroko Tabuchi, The Associated Press
(via Making Light)
Labels: Comics Enriched Their Lives, Iraq, Japan, manga, propaganda
Hi Tim!
If I’m recognizing your name correctly, I think we both went to Wash U in St. Louis.
I used to make the Frito Baggins comics (“I’m just a snack chip!”), and I think you were the editor of the paper. My comics name was “Mississippi Marc.” Anyways – I found this site googling for ‘cold heat’ and recognized your name.
Great blog, man. Glad to see you’re involved in the comics industry.
Send me an e-mail sometime if you want – deckter(at)gmail(dot)com – I’m in the animation business now.
Take care!
Marc